(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a disk drive for use in a computer system, and more particularly to a disk drive having a disk loading mechanism in which a disk from a disk holder unit is transported to a playback position by a disk transporting unit, and the disk at the playback position on a turntable is clamped by a clamper through a movement of the turntable by a turntable moving unit when a data signal is reproduced from the disk.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A CD-ROM disk drive for use in a computer system is known. In the CD-ROM disk drive, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk--Read Only Memory) from a disk holder unit is transported to a turntable of a playback unit and the CD-ROM on the turntable is clamped by a clamper through a vertical movement of the turntable by a turntable moving unit. The CD-ROM on the turntable is rotated by the turntable when a data signal is reproduced from the CD-ROM.
In order to reduce the manufacturing cost and provide a good reliability of the CD-ROM disk drive, it is desirable that the CD-ROM disk drive has a smaller number of motors which are used for transporting the disk in either of two opposite directions and for vertically moving the turntable when the disk is clamped or released.
The CD-ROM is a type of data recording medium. Hereinafter, the CD-ROM will be called the disk for the sake of convenience.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional disk loading mechanism 500 used for a disk drive.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the conventional disk loading mechanism 500, a disk transporting unit 501 and a turntable moving unit 503 are provided. The disk transporting unit 501 transports the disk in either of two opposite directions between a disk holder unit and a turntable of the disk drive. The transporting of the disk by the disk transporting unit 501 is performed by a loading motor 502. The turntable moving unit 502 vertically moves the turntable relative to the disk transported by the disk transporting unit 501, so that the disk on the turntable is clamped or released. The movement of the turntable by the turntable moving unit 502 is performed by a clamping motor 504 which is different from the loading motor 502.
Therefore, the conventional disk loading mechanism 500 requires the loading motor 502 and the clamping motor 504 which are separately provided to perform the operation of the disk transporting unit 501 and the operation of the turntable moving unit 503. It is difficult for the conventional disk loading mechanism 500 to provide a reduction of the manufacturing cost and provide a good reliability of the disk drive.